Introduction -- Spanish Colonial Missions of the Southwest Travel Itinerary

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Spanish Colonial Missions of the Southwest Travel Itinerary

Visit the unforgettable architecture of Spanish colonial heritage in the U.S.! The National Park Service invites you to travel the National Historic Trails, units of the National Park System, and other places listed in the National Register of Historic Places that bring alive the stories of Spanish colonial missions in the Southwestern United States. Missions were communities aimed at converting American Indians to Roman Catholicism and to Spanish ways of life. The diversity of American Indian and Spanish peoples led to distinct histories at each mission. The destinations featured in the Spanish Colonial Missions of the Southwest Travel Itinerary reflect hundreds of years of American Indian and Spanish heritage –from the early settlements and conflicts to the creation of new cultural practices to the unforgettable architecture that became a cherished focus of preservation in the twentieth century. The itinerary offers several ways to discover and experience these historic places:

Linen postcard of San Miguel c. 1930-1945.

By Alfred Mc Garr Adv. Ser. From the Tichnor Brothers Collection. Courtesy of Boston Public Library.

Descriptions of each featured destination on the List of Sites highlight the significance of the places, their stories, and how the sites have changed over time. Photographs, other illustrations, and information for planning your visit are also included.

Essays written by experts in the study of Spanish colonial missions provide the historical background behind why Spanish and European religious orders founded mission communities among American Indian tribes.The essays eloquently communicate both the historic significance of these sites and how the architecture and preservation of missions have become important to how Americans understand their past.

Maps help visitors plan what to see and do and get directions to places to visit.

The Learn More section provides links to relevant tourism, history, preservation, general information, and other relevant websites, making it easy to plan your visit. This section also provides a bibliography for those interested in learning more about each region's Spanish colonial history.

Reenactors from La Sociedad de la Entrada at the Jornada del Muerto, a waterless stretch of desert away from the river on El Camino Real that travelers had to cross before Mission Socorro.

NPS photo.

View the itinerary online or print it as a guide if you plan to visit in person. The Spanish Colonial Missions of the Southwest Travel Itinerary is part of the Department of the Interior, National Park Service's commitment to connect people to history and encourage visits to national parks and other historic places in the nation. The Spanish Colonial Missions of the Southwest Travel Itinerary was produced by the National Park Service (NPS) Office of Outreach, Education and Training (including the former Heritage Education Services office) and the NPS Archeology Program in partnership with the Drachman Institute at the University of Arizona, the NPS Desert Southwest Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, the NPS Spanish Colonial Research Center at the University of New Mexico, the Embassy of Spain, Washington, D.C., and the National Conference of State Historic Preservation Officers. The itinerary will help people everywhere learn about and plan trips to visit the amazing diversity of this country's historic places.The National Park Service and its partners hope you enjoy this itinerary and others in the series. If you have any comments or questions, please click on "Comments or Questions" at the bottom of each page.

Discover our Shared Heritage Travel Itinerary Program Frequently Asked Questions

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